1. Technical Field
This invention relates to food processing equipment and, more particularly, to a gathering device for use with a meat stuffing machine.
2. Discussion
In the meat processing industry sausage casings, films and/or netting are often used to contain or wrap stuffed meat products. For example, netting and an edible film are placed over an end of a stuffing horn and the meat products are forced into the netting/film through a chute in the horn by a ram. This technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,552 which is hereby incorporated by reference. Once the wrapped meat product exits the horn, typically the operator must grasp the meat product by hand and firmly squeeze it to form the ends. Immediately after compressing the meat product, the operator usually twist the product to bind the wrapping to prevent it from opening at the newly formed end. Finally, the formed product is carried to a clipping station that cuts and clips the wrapping material where it has been twisted to form individual meat products.
The present invention is primarily concerned with the way in which the wrapped meat product is compressed at one end after the ram has pushed the meat products into the opposite closed end of the wrapper. In the past, the operator of similar meat packing machines had to grab the meat product by hand and very quickly compress and twist the product before the stuffing ram retracted to prevent the meat from being sucked back into the horn. In order to allow sufficient time for the operator to conduct this compress and twist motion, the stuffing cycle had to be run at a relatively slow speed. Worse yet, because of the intricate bone structure of the human wrist joint, the operator may tend to develop ailments such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after conducting the compress and twist motion over an extended period of time.
One of the advantages of the present invention is the increased efficiency. By eliminating the need for an operator to simultaneously compress and twist the meat product the stuffing cycle may be run at a much quicker pace.
Another advantage of the present invention is a more uniformly shaped final product since the meat is no longer sucked back into the horn by the retracting ram.
A further advantage of the present invention over meat processing machines which use plates to compress the meat product ends is the safety afforded. If the operator's fingers happen to get caught in the gathering device of the present invention as it closes, it is much less likely that serious injury would result.